We utilize dead or dying trees, which are close to falling, have already fallen, or have already been felled. We are not tree removal specialists, but we are tree retrieval specialists. We then harvest as much of the tree as possible and turn it into furniture.

2010 Winter Snowstorm

During one of the more intense ice/snowstorms in winter 2010, a large
tree fell on South Bow Road. We met the road crew trying to clear the felled tree, and when we saw the foot-long, 1/2 horsepower chainsaw
they were using to cut through a 3-foot diameter tree, we just had to help.

The tree was about 3 feet in diameter, and had fallen across the road, taking out telephone/electrical wires. We backed our trailer up about a half-mile from our house, to the site of the felled tree. After we helped the servicemen section the tree they used their crane to lift the sections onto our trailer. Not only was it satisfying to help clear the road for others during a snowstorm, but we got some great wood out of the deal!

A Friend's Dying Tree

A family friend contacted us and mentioned they had some rather large sections from an even larger tree which they hadn't been able to get rid of yet. Naturally, this piqued our interest and we had to investigate. These are some of the most unique pieces of wood we have slabbed yet. It also gave us an excuse to rent a forklift (always a fun time). We also used the forklift to move around the several-hundred-pound logs that had been sitting in our driveway from the 2010 snowstorm (above, right).

All of the wood in these images has been slabbed, and is currently drying. This typically takes between one and three years depending on the type of wood, the thickness of the slab, and the conditions in which it is set to dry. Unfortunately we can't fit all of the wood in our basement (where it is cool and dry), so some has to start the process outside under a tarp.

Before the wood is set to dry, it is slabbed to both decrease drying time and also to ensure that the wood is still healthy (i.e. there is no rot inside of the core). We use a STIHL model XXX Chainsaw, with a 56" bar, and an Alaskan Sawmill available from Forrestry Suppliers. Some photos from the slabbing process can be seen below. On the left is preparing the first cut with 2x6s, to make sure that it is level and the slabs are as flat as possible. On the right is the alaskan sawmill. The third picture is two of our lumberjacks posing in front of their victim. The fourth shows the log entirely slabbed and ready for drying, along with the sawdust generated from the slabbing process.

Once the wood has been slabbed and dried, we de-bark it (the dogs go crazy when this happens... arf arf arf...), sand it, and send it through a planer to ensure an even surface. Then we finish sand it, and perform whatever post-processing is required, such as filling in any cracks or knots with a clear resin that adds a beautiful 3-D effects to the table, before it is then polyeurethaned and then sealed. Photos from the manufacture of a large table for our dining room can be seen below. it was fabricated from one single section of a tree; two slabs, adjacent to each other in the "stack", were placed next to each other, where one slab was flipped allowing them to mate properly (think of the process of opening the pages of a book to give you an idea of how we "unfolded" the table from a single log).

Photos of the sanding process, pouring resin, and joining of the two table halves are coming soon!!!

As you can see from the look on the dog's face, the table has her approval (as in it is the perfect height off of which one can hunt for dinner leftovers...)